Publications by authors named "Pongolini S"

Objectives: Infections by Carbapenem-Resistant Enterobacterales in hospitals represent a severe threat but little is known on outbreaks in rehabilitation wards caused by Klebsiella pneumoniae producing Klebsiella pneumoniae Carbapenemase (KPC-Kp). We report an outbreak by KPC-Kp, in a Neurorehabilitation Unit in Italy, analysed through Whole-Genome Sequencing (WGS) for transmission routes reconstruction to improve management of KPC-Kp infections in rehabilitation units.

Methods: We investigated cases and KPC-Kp isolates collected from February to October 2022 from hospital surveillance.

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is diffused worldwide, and subsp. is spread worldwide with many serovars associated with the infection of domestic bovines. The most spread are .

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Human salmonellosis is a high-priority foodborne disease worldwide. The main reservoir of is livestock, mainly swine and poultry that are infected both by generalist serovars and serovars adapted to them. The most widespread livestock-adapted serovars are attenuated in both their primary hosts and humans.

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Modular supramolecular complexes, where different proteins are assembled to gather targeting capability and photofunctional properties within the same structures, are of special interest for bacterial photodynamic inactivation, given their inherent biocompatibility and flexibility. We have recently proposed one such structure, exploiting the tetrameric bacterial protein streptavidin as the main building block, to target protein A. To expand the palette of targets, we have linked biotinylated Concanavalin A, a sugar-binding protein, to a methylene blue-labelled streptavidin.

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The study assessed the role of equids at slaughter as faecal carriers of Salmonella enterica and the occurrence of contaminated equid carcasses during the slaughter process in Northern Italy (Emilia-Romagna Region). From June to November 2021, 152 equids (146 horses, 5 donkeys and 1 mule) were tested for Salmonella both in caecal contents and through carcass swabs. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of recovered strains was tested against 15 antimicrobials.

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This study integrated population data with assessment of virulence phenotypes to unveil that a considerable part of the global population of Derby is evolving to enhance its host adaptation to the swine host and that this evolution is simultaneously increasing its attenuation for humans. The study shows that the fixation of deleterious mutations in SPI-1 has a role in this process. This evidence indicates that SPI-1 has a key role for .

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We report Listeria monocytogenes infection in a patient in Italy who was transfused with pooled platelet concentrate. Genomic analysis revealed that L. monocytogenes isolates from the donor blood unit, the transfused platelets, and the patient's blood culture were genetically closely related, confirming transfusion transmission.

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Rare cases of community-acquired pneumonia (PA-CAP) were reported in non-immunocompromised patients. We describe a case of (PA) necrotizing cavitary CAP with a fatal outcome in a 53-year-old man previously infected with SARS-CoV-2, who was admitted for dyspnea, fever, cough, hemoptysis, acute respiratory failure and a right upper lobe opacification. Six hours after admission, despite effective antibiotic therapy, he experienced multi-organ failure and died.

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Wild boar (Sus scrofa) is the most widely distributed large wildlife mammal worldwide. To investigate the transmission of Salmonella enterica amongst wild boars (Sus scrofa), humans, and livestock, we compared via pulsed-field gel electrophoresis and whole genome sequences the isolates of S. enterica serovar Typhimurium (biphasic and monophasic variants) and Enteritidis collected from wild boars, food-producing animals, and human patients in Emilia-Romagna region (Northern Italy) between 2017 and 2020.

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A clinical strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae typed as sequence type 307 carrying three different alleles of the flu gene encoding the Escherichia coli virulence factor antigen 43 associated with biofilm formation was detected and characterized. The flu alleles are located in the chromosome inside putative integrative conjugative elements. The strain displays the phenotypes associated with Ag43, i.

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Background: To date, whole genome sequencing has been performed mainly for isolates of Chlamydia trachomatis, C. pneumoniae, C. psittaci and C.

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Background: Salmonella enterica is among the major burdens for public health at global level. Typing of salmonellae below the species level is fundamental for different purposes, but traditional methods are expensive, technically demanding, and time-consuming, and therefore limited to reference centers. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is an alternative method for bacterial typing, successfully applied for classification at different infra-species levels.

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Salmonella is an enteric pathogen able to invade the intestinal epithelium and replicate in enterocytes, both inside Salmonella-specific vacuoles and free in the cytosol (cytosolic hyper-replication). These different phenotypes of intracellular replication drive to different pathways of pathogenesis, i.e.

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Article Synopsis
  • - SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) are evolving to enhance their ability to spread among humans, with mutations in the spike protein contributing significantly to this adaptation, particularly in immunocompromised patients where long-term virus replication occurs.
  • - Researchers discovered minor viral mutants coexisting with a dominant variant in an immunocompromised patient over a 222-day infection period; these mutations led to changes in how the virus entered cells and interacted with immune responses.
  • - The dominant variant (MB61) showed a faster replication rate and evaded certain immune defenses by using a specific entry method (membrane fusion), unlike the minor variant which used endocytosis and was more susceptible to antiviral responses.
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We report the development of a supramolecular structure endowed with photosensitizing properties and targeting capability for antimicrobial photodynamic inactivation. Our synthetic strategy uses the tetrameric bacterial protein streptavidin, labeled with the photosensitizer eosin, as the main building block. Biotinylated immunoglobulin G (IgG) from human serum, known to associate with protein A, was bound to the complex streptavidin-eosin.

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This case report describes for the first-time cases of severe gastroenteritis in water buffalo calves due to a new serovar of . The study was carried out on fecal matrix collected from live water buffalo calves that showed profuse diarrhea, severe dehydration and fever, exhibiting a systemic course. Culture and molecular investigations identified the pathogens isolated from intestinal contents as two Salmonella serovars, and a new serovar of .

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Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP) is characterized by a low genomic rate of mutation. Current subtyping tools, such as Mini-Micro-satellite analyses, do to have not sufficient discriminatory power to disclose MAP's evolution on small spatial and temporal scales.

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This study aims to describe trends of mcr-positive Enterobacterales in humans based on laboratory surveillance with a defined catchment population. The data source is the Micro-RER surveillance system, established in Emilia-Romagna region (Italy), to monitor the trend of mcr resistance. Enterobacterales isolates from human clinical samples with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) ≥ 2 mg/L for colistin were sent to the study reference laboratory for the detection of mcr genes.

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Typhoidal and para-typhoidal are major causes of bacteraemia in resource-limited countries. Diagnostic alternatives to laborious and resource-demanding serotyping are essential. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIRS) is a rapidly developing and simple bacterial typing technology.

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BackgroundWhole genome sequencing (WGS) is increasingly used for pathogen identification and surveillance.AimWe evaluated costs and benefits of routine WGS through case studies at eight reference laboratories in Europe and the Americas which conduct pathogen surveillance for avian influenza (two laboratories), human influenza (one laboratory) and food-borne pathogens (five laboratories).MethodsThe evaluation focused on the institutional perspective, i.

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Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates two clinical isolates in Italy that co-produce carbapenemase (VIM) and colistin resistance (MCR) enzymes, which poses significant challenges for treating infections.
  • - Methods included species identification through MALDI-TOF, antibiotic susceptibility testing, and DNA sequencing using advanced technology to analyze genetic factors associated with resistance.
  • - Findings revealed one isolate resistant to carbapenems but not colistin, and another isolate resistant to both, with specific genetic elements on various plasmids contributing to their resistance patterns.
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Article Synopsis
  • Salmonella enterica variants show diverse adaptations to different hosts, affecting infection outcomes and food safety risks, with a focus on S. Derby subtypes found in humans and swine.* -
  • Certain S. Derby isolates are under-represented in humans and display a unique PFGE profile, indicating specific adaptations to swine and reduced invasion capabilities in human cells.* -
  • A key missense mutation in the hilD gene, crucial for Salmonella's virulence, leads to a loss of function affecting human epithelial cell invasion, while the impact on swine cells is less pronounced, suggesting different invasion strategies for various hosts.*
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Paratuberculosis, a chronic disease caused by subsp. (MAP), in ten scimitar-horned oryxes (SHOs) hosted in an Italian zoological park and originating from a Slovakian flock, was documented by pathology, molecular, cultural, and serological testing. The infection origin in this threatened species was also investigated by genomic analyses.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study analyzed human listeriosis cases in Emilia-Romagna, Italy, from 2012 to 2018, focusing on genomic clusters to assess potential outbreaks and improve ongoing surveillance methods.
  • During this period, the region reported a listeriosis case rate over twice the EU average, with 95% of cases typed using whole genome sequencing (WGS) to identify clusters.
  • Results indicated that 66-72% of cases were part of genomic clusters, lasting up to 5 years, and highlighted that long-term surveillance and robust data collection are key to effectively tracking outbreaks, emphasizing the need for multiple analytical approaches.
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In this report, the draft genome sequence of serovar 1/2a strain IZSAM_Lm_14-16064, isolated in Italy from a cooked ham, is announced. The genome is similar to that of a clinical strain isolated in 2014.

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